Movable truck jack



May 13, 1941. G. c. NOROS MOVABLE TRUCK JACK Filed May 11, 1940 2 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 fiTTOK/VEY May 13, 1941. e. c. NOROS MOVABLE TRUCK JACK Filed May 11, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 g 1 z a. 1 7 I. III llly 1 A 5 d w mf A FA wmmi w I. I T Q 6 H f 1 .H. w: M

INVENT'GR w/ T/YESS Patented May 13, 1941 MOVABLE TRUCK JACK George C. N oros, Manheim, Pa., assignor to Bond Foundry & Machine Company, Manheim, Pa., a. corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 11, 1940, Serial No. 334,495

16 Claims.

The invention relates to jacks of the character disclosed in my co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial Number 299,258, filed October 13, 1939, entitled Movable truck jack, this application being in'part a continuation thereof, and is especially concerned with improvements upon the jack described and claimed therein with a view to providing jacks of the same general type but somewhat better adapted for use under certain more or less unusual conditions.

More specifically while my said prior jack is entirely satisfactory when employed in mills, factories or the like where hard and reasonably uniform floors with few marked surface irregularities are normally encountered, when used in establishments such for example as potterics which sometimes have rough and uneven floors it has been found that the jack may occasionally be accidentally tilted by the floor irregularities, particularly when the truck is being pushed backwards, so as to allow the truck to fall from its elevated position and descend with considerable force upon its front supporting feet whereby if the truck is loaded with pottery or other fragile articles they may be damaged by the resultant shock.

On the other hand, in tin plate mills or the like where the jack is used for shifting trucks loaded to a considerable height above their platforms with packs of sheets or similar burdens which may also overhang the front end of the truck to some extent, it is often difficult to readily and safely disconnect the jack from the loaded truck preparatory to further use with another because the load prevents the handle from being raised sufficiently for the purpose or may be struck by the operators hands when raising the handle while the jack is being disengaged.

The jacks of the present invention have therefore been developed more particularly with a View to meeting conditions such as those to which I have briefly referred more efliciently and safely than the jack of my prior invention and will therefore frequently be preferred for use thereunder.

It is thus a principal'object of the present invention to provide a jack of the character afore-,

said which in one of its embodiments has incorporated therein automatic locking means whereby accidental disconnection of the jack body from the truck coupling to which it is attached is prevented without impairment, however, of the freedom of its normal swivelling movement or its capacity for ready disconnection from the truck when desired, and in which means are provided whereby the drawing tongue by which the jack is guided and controlled may be easily and safely manipulated when connecting the jack with a truck or disconnecting it therefrom even though the truck be loaded with more or less bulky articles to a considerable height above and sometimes in advance of its front edge.

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear or will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the front end of a truck with one embodiment of the invention in operative association therewith.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view on a larger scale of the jack and'coupling member of Fig. l apart rom the truck;

Fig. 3 is a similarly enlarged side elevation thereof in part in vertical section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are corresponding views showing another embodiment of the invention.

In the several figures like characters are used to designate the same parts, the sectional plane of Fig. 6 being indicated by the line 66 in Fig. 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the truck T, which may be of any suitable character, is provided with a pair of wheels at one end (not shown) while adjacent the opposite corners of its other or front end are positioned scription.

In accordance with the invention a coupling l, forming one of the two primary component elements of the jack as a whole, is permanently secured to the front end of the truck, preferably on its longitudinal center line, by screws or bolts 2 extending through ears 3 in the coupling base plate 4. The coupling has an upstanding flange 5 adapted to seat against thefront edge of the truck platform and a downwardly opening, cylindrical socket 6 surrounded by a substantially circular integral flange 1, the circular bottom face of this flange forming a bearing surface on which the coupling, and hence the front end of the truck, may be supported from the other component element of thejack. The coupling is preferably made in one piece as by forging or casting and when attached to the truck normally becomes in effect a part of it to which the said other element, now to be more fully described, may be connected or disconnected as desired.

More specifically this element, which may be termed the jack proper, comprises a generally inverted U-shaped body In having a center portion or bridge H connecting laterally spaced depending arms 12 and I3 preferably integral therewith. The upper surface of the bridge is plane and from it rises a cylindrical pintle l5 desirably somewhat tapered at its end to facilitate its insertion into the coupling socket 6, said plane surface on the bridge forming a platform upon which the bottom face of the coupling rests when the pintle is seated in the socket. Extending upwardly from the front edge of the bridge H is an overhanging generally segmental lip 16 which cooperates with the bridge to form a groove or track H for the front edge of the flange 1 when the pintle is in the socket and allows for movement of the jack relatively to the coupling about the axis of the pintle.

To prevent accidental disengagement of the jack from the coupling when the truck is being backed over a rough floor or encounters an obstruction, in that form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3 a latch i9 is pivoted on a pin 20 extending between the arms 12 and I3 of the body If! and adapted to overlie the rear edge of the flange 1 when the jack is in operative association with the coupling. The latch is normally held in this position as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 3 by springs 2| recessed in the forwardly projecting actuating lever 22 of the latch and in the bridge I l respectively, the lever 22 having an aperture 23 through which extends an abutment 24 depending from the bridge H for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. The upper end of the latch is curved as at Hi and the lower corner of flange I rounded off to enable the latch to readily ride over it when the jack is being connected to the coupling.

Bosses 25 are formed at the lower extremities of the depending arms I2, l3 and are bored to receive a transverse axle 26 on the ends of which wheels 2! are rotatably mounted and held in place by cotter pins 28 and washers 29 or in any other convenient way.

The arms 12 and I3 are also extended rearwardly as at 30 and bored to receive a pivot pin 3! parallel to the axle 26 which is held in the arms by cotter pins 32 and a guiding tongue 33 is attached to the jack by means of this pin. The tongue is desirably tubular, of rectangular cross- I section. curving downwardly and rearwardly from its upper forward end, provided with a transverse handle 34, to its rear lower end which extends between the arms l2 and I3 and receives the square shank 35 of a head 36 secured in the tongue by a pin 3! and having an oppositely tapered transverse hole 38 which loosely receives the pivot pin 3|, as best shown in Fig. 3, to permit pivotal movement of the head and hence of the tongue about the pin.

Adjacent their front edges the arms l2 and 13 are provided with inwardly projecting abutmentsv 39 spaced apart sufficiently to permit the tongue 33 to move vertically between them about its pivot pin 3! whereby the height of the handle 34 above the floor can be varied to enable the operator to conveniently move and guide the truck, the tongue engaging one or the other of the nutments when the jack is to be turned about.

the-pintle 15 as the truck is being pulled or pushed around.

The tongue is also provided at a point near the front of the jack body with a latch operating dog 40 comprising vertical flanges 4| lying on opposite sides of the tongue and pivoted thereto on a transverse pivot 42, and oppositely laterally and forwardly extending pedal parts 43 which enable the operator to move the dog 40 about its pivot with his foot to swing it from one to another of the positions respectively indicated in full and in broken lines in Fig. 3. The dog 40 is formed near one end for engagement in a notch 44 in the front end of the lever 22 when the dog. is moved about its ivot from full to broken line position in Fig. 3 to thereby raise the lever against the force of its springs 2| and clear it from the flange I on the coupling, and after the latch has thus been cleared from the flange the operator .by lifting the tongue can swing the entire jack proper forwardly about the front edge of the flange to withdraw the pintle I5 from the socket 6, thus lowering the front end of the truck onto its feet F. The interposition of the dog 40 between the lowered tongue and the raised latch lever prevents relative movement between the jack body and the tongue during this operation and complete control of the jack and truck while the latter is being lowered is thereby afforded. However, the tongue can be freely moved vertically about its pivot pin 3| to a height which suits the operators convenience without disturbing the normal locking relation of the latch with the flange when the dog 40 is retracted to full line position and the abutment 24 then serves as a stop to prevent the tongue being raised high enough to operate the latch and permit inadvertent disconnection of the jack from the truck.

The jack may be connected with the coupling to raise the truck end from the floor irrespective of the position of the dog 40 although the latter will ordinarily be in its dotted line or operative position during this operation, having been brought thereto when uncoupling the jack from the preceding truck and subsequently left therein. Therefore, assuming the dog is in that position and the tongue consequently substantially in engagement with the axle 26,. the jack is moved toward the coupling so as to bring the tapered end of pintle l5 into the socket 6, the flange 1' on the coupling entering groove ll formed by lip !6 on the'jack bridge during this movement; downward and rearward pressure on the tongue in engagement with the axle then slides the bridge of the jack under flange 1 to lift the truck end and finally bring the cooperative plane faces of the bridge and coupling together as the pintle slides into the. coupling socket where it I serves as a king bolt on which the jack can now turn for steering the truck. The jack is preferably so constructed that when the operation just described is completed, axle 26 is. just over center with respect to the axis of pintle l5 and the dog 4!] may now be retracted to permit the latch l9 to move to latching position in which it overhangs. the flange 1 and its arm 22 rests on the abutments 39 which are so positioned that the latch is normally held just out of engagement with the flange. If, however, the dog is in inoperative position and the latch consequently in latching position when the jack is being connected to the coupling, the rounded end l9 of the latch rides over the lower face and corner of. the flange l as the jack is moved in,

under it andas the pintle I ful1y entersits socket the latch, underthe' bias of its spring,

snaps into latching position and the arml22 comes to rest on the abutments.

The latch is thus normally heldljust out ..of engagement with the flange Jbutf..-in position to engage it whenever the jack is moved relatively to the coupling in a manner. tending to swing it forwardlyabout thefront lower edge .of the flange; consequently. the jack cannot be. sep.-; arated from the truck unless thelatchis posi-= tively operated by the dog 40, andif the. 'dogiskept retjracted (as in Fig. 1) when the-truck:

is being moved about it cannot be accidentally engaged with the latch to release the latter.

Under normal conditions of usethe jack is therefore at all times maintained.inSnon-sep:

arable relation to the coupling and the truck-may bemoved over rough or unevensurfaces without danger, although the jack may be readily disconnected flrom the truck when desired: the do 40, moreover, enables the disconnection tobe efiected without swinging the handle upwardly:

ever, as well as some parts or the jack proper may be generally similar to corresponding-parts shown and described in mysaid prior application Serial No. 299,258; Thus the flange 1 on the coupling I may be segmental instead of circulalr and is adapted for reception in the groove I'l' formed by lip if with-the bridge I l" of the jack body when the pintle' on the latter isentered in the coupling socket 6, while 1 the tongue 33', pivoted on a'pin 3If between-the arms l2, I3 of the jackbody, may be raised' and moved laterally into either of .the 'spaces or notchesbetween the upper ends; of abutments 39 and the bevelled surface 24' 'on the lower face of the bridge ll when the 'jack' is'being connected to or disconnected from 'thecoupling,

substantially in the same manner as the operation of the jack disclosd ihsaid applica-' tion. However, as noted, this is sometimes difficult of accomplishment and may involve risk of injury to the operator under certain load conditions of the truck, so in accordance with the present invention I therefore arrange upon the tongue a dog 40' of such character. and in such a way that it may be interposed between the latter and the surface 24' onthe bridge when the tongue is depressed substantially engage-- ment with the axleZG to thereby "enable-the jack to be manipulated-without requiring the handle 34 to be raised sufficiently to strike or come into close proximity to the load upon the truck. The dog is pivotally supported on the tongue through the medium or j'vertical flanges 4| prefer-ably integral with' the dog,

which are pivoted on opposite-sides of the tongue on a transverse pivot 42' while forwardly and laterally extending pedal parts 43 formed on theflanges enable the operatorto easily-and.-

conveniently swing the dog 40 about its pivot with his foot and thus move it from the full line or operative position orFig. 6 to the dotted-or inoperative one or vice versa, the dog when-in the jack to, or its disconnection from the truck without the necessity of materially raising the tongue relatively to the jack body and when in the latter position enabling the tongue to be moved freely about its pivot 3| for adjustment of the handle. 34 to a convenient height for guiding and.- controlling the jack in moving the truck.

This jack is thus designed primalrily for, and is well adapted to, use in sheet and plate mills and the like in which trucks are generally piled high with noneyielding and often overhanging articles but are not likely to be pushed over rough or uneven floors and therefore do not ineed to have the jack positively locked to the coupling.

. As Will'l'lOW be apparent, jacks constructed in accordance with the present invention are particularly adapted for certain special purposes and are not primarily intended for the more general uses for which the jack described and claimed in my said prior application is eminently suited.

Consequently, while I have herein shown and described with considerable detail certain embodiments of the present invention, and have pointed out particularly wherein I consider it an improvement over my said prior invention, it is to be distinctly understood I do not thereby intend or wish to be limited or confined thereto in any way, as changes and modifications in the form, structure and arrangement of the several parts andtheir mode of cooperation will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be made if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

" Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

' 1. A truck jack of the character described comprising a pair of coaxial wheels, a body supported therefrom including a pair of upstanding arms and means interconnecting the arms above the axis of the wheels, a tongue pivoted to the arms and extending therebetween and means carried by the tongue adapted for interposition between the tongue and said arm connecting means eifective whenso interpositioned to limit pivotal movement of the tongue relatively to the body.

24A truck jack of the character described, comprising a pair of wheels, an axle carried thereby, a' body supported from the axle including spaced upstanding arms and a bridge paralleling the-axle adjacent the extremities of the arms, a

tongue pivoted between the arms selectively movable into engagement with the axle and the bridge and means pivoted to the tongue adapted for interposition between the tongue and the bridge when the tongue is in engagement with the axle to thereby limit pivotal movement of the tongue toward the, bridge.

3. A truck jack of the character described, comprising a pair of coaxial Wheels, a pair of upstanding arms supported therefrom, a bridge connecting-the arms, a tongue pivoted to the arms on one. side; of the wheel axis and extending therebetween to the opposite side of said axis and movable on its pivot into engagement with the bridge, and means carried by the tongue and pivoted thereto adaptedfor interposition between the tongue and the bridge to thereby limit pivotal movement of the tongue toward the bridge,

.. 4. A, truck jack of the character described,

the former position facilitating connection coil C p sing a pair of Wheels, an axle carried thereby, ajack body supported from the axle and comprising spaced upstanding armsv and abridge paralleling the axle adjacent the extremities of the arms, a tongue pivoted between the arms selectively movable into engagement with the axle and the bridge and means pivoted to the tongue adapted for interposition between the tongue and the bridge to limit said pivotal movement and maintain the tongue in substantial engagement with said axle.

5. In combination with a truck of the character described, a coupling secured. to the truck and a jack cooperative with the coupling comprising means forming a pivotal connection with. the coupling, coaxial. wheels, a body interconnecting said means and said wheels, a lip on the body coaxial with said pivotal connection adapted to overhang a portion of the coupling, a tongue pivoted to the body and extending between the arms and means pivoted to the tongue adapted when in one position to limit movement thereof relatively to the body and thereby enable the body to be turned about the axis of the wheels by movement of the tongue.

6. A truck jack of the character described, comprising a body having a bridge and laterally spaced arms depending therefrom, coaxial supporting wheels rotatively supported from the arms, a tongue extending between the arms and across said axis, pivoted to the arms on one side of said axis and movable on its pivot in a plane substantially normal thereto, and means pivoted to the body for movement in substantially the same plane adapted to releasably secure the jack to a truck.

7. A truck jack of the character described, comprising a body having a bridge and laterally spaced arms depending therefrom, coaxial supporting wheels rotatively supported from the arms, a tongue extending between the arms pivoted thereto on one side of the wheel axis and extending beyond the other side of said axis, the tongue being movable on its pivot in a plane substantially normal to said axis, a movable coupling-engaging latch carried by the body and extending between the bridge and the tongue and means pivoted to the latter for movement in said plane operable to move the latch from couplingengaging position.

8. A truck jack of the character described,

comprising a body having a bridge and laterally spaced arms depending therefrom, coaxial supporting wheels rotatively supported from the arms, a tongue pivoted to and extending between the arms, a segmental lip projecting upwardly from the bridge, a coupling member on the bridge coaxial with the lip adapted for cooperation with a complementary coupling element on a truck, latching means pivoted to the body and projecting upwardly beyond the bridge in substantially diametric opposition to said lip for releasably securing the jack to said element and means carried by the tongue for actuating said latching means.

9. In combination with a truck of the. character described, a coupling secured to the truck and a jack comprising a body, cooperative. means respectively carried by the coupling and body forming a pivotal connection therebetween, coaxial wheels rotatively attached to the body, an upwardly directed lip on the body adapted to overhang a portion of the coupling and means cooperative with the lip to releasably maintain said pivotal connection between the body and coupling. i i

10, In. combination with a truck of the character described, a coupling secured to the truck and a-jack cooperative with the coupling comprising means forming a pivotal connection with the coupling, coaxial. wheels, a body interconnecting said means and said wheels, a lip on the body coaxial with said pivotal connection adapted to overhang a portion of the coupling and means pivoted to the body and. projecting therefrom in substantially diametric opposition to said lip with respect to the-axis of said connection cooperative with. the lip to releasably maintain the jack in pivotal relation with the. coupling.

11. In combination with a truck of the character described, a coupling secured to the truck and a jack cooperative with the coupling comprising a body, means carried by the body forming, a pivotal. connection with the coupling, coaxial wheels rotatively attached to the body, means pivoted to the body adapted to engage the coupling to maintain said pivotal connection, a tongue pivoted to the body for guiding and controlling thejack and means carried by the tongue operable to actuate said. last mentioned means to enable the body to be separated from the coupling.

12. In combination with a truck of the character described, a coupling secured to the truck and a jack comprising a body, cooperative means respectively carried by the coupling and body forming a. pivotal connection therebetween, coaxial wheels rotatively attached to the body, an upwardly; directed lip on the body adapted to overhang a portion of. the. coupling, means 00- operative with the lip to releasably maintain said pivotal connection between the body and coupling', a tongue carried by the body for guiding the jack and means carried by the tongue operable to actuate said releasable means when it is desired to disconnect the jack from the coupling.

13. In combination. with a truck of the character described, a coupling secured to the truck and a. jack pivotally connected with the coupling comprisingv coaxial wheels, a body carried by said wheels and adapted to support the coupling, a latch pivoted to the body and engageable with the. coupling to releasably maintain the jack in pivotal relation therewith, the latch comprising an apertured. arm extending within the body for movementin a plane normal to the wheel axis, a tongue pivotedto the. body for movement in. a like plane, means carried by the tongue adapted for'interposition between the tongue and arm to actuate the latch and means projecting from the body toward the tongue and extending through the aperture in the arm adapted to limit movemer t-of the tonguein one direction in said plane and prevent the'jack from becoming disengaged.

14. In a. jack of the character described adapted for cooperative attachment to a coupling, means adapted to form a pivotal connection with the coupling, coaxial wheels, a body interconnecting, said means and said wheels, a movable latch carried by the. body adapted to releasably lock it to the coupling in pivotal relation therewith, the latch having an operating arm movable in a plane normalv to the wheel axis, a tongue pivoted to the body for movement in a like plane, means pivoted to the tongue operable to actuate the armto move the latch and means projecting from the bodyinto the path of the tongue adapted' to-limit movement of the tongue in one directionand'. prevent the lack from becoming disengaged-.".-

substantially diametric opposition to said lip with respect to the axis of said connection cooperative with the lip to releasably maintain the jack in pivotal relation with the coupling, said means including an arm extending substantially normal to said axis and yielding means engaging the arm normally operative to hold said means in position for maintaining said pivotal connection.

16. In combination with a truck of the character described, a coupling secured to the truck and a jack cooperative with the coupling comprising means forming a pivotal connection with the coupling, coaxial wheels, a body interconnecting said means and said wheels, a lip on the body coaxial with said pivotal connection adapted to overhang a portion of the coupling, a spring pressed pivoted latch projecting upwardly from the body cooperative with the lip to releasably lock the body to the coupling, a tongue pivoted to the body for guiding and controlling the jack and means pivoted to the tongue operable to actuate the latch.

GEORGE C. NOROS. 

